Summary

The Advanced Engineering department provides expert support to tire development engineers and the testing department to ensure tire performance meets original equipment and replacement market requirements. Engineers in the advanced engineering department interpret tire performance requirements, communicate with customers (both OEMs and Replacement Market) on issues related to their expertise, understand how tire construction impacts tire performance, develop tools to predict and analyze tire performance, troubleshoot tire concerns, develop indoor and on-vehicle test methods to measure tire performance and validate predictive tools. Advanced Engineering coordinates activities with engineers at Yokohama's global R&D center in Japan.

This position will support the Development group with a focus on FEA modeling of tires and tire performance. The engineer will primarily assist in building, maintaining, analyzing, and refining tire Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models while also contributing to the development of data-driven tools and simulations. He or she will engage in training downstream users while also writing programs to improve FEA accuracy, creating tire performance predictive tools, and develop material testing procedures as necessary. The engineer must be capable of interacting with external and internal customers to understand the technical expectations for our products and their impact on vehicle performance.

This position is expected to work independently on projects to understand the cause-and-effect relationships of tire performance with minimal guidance from their supervisor.

Responsibilities

Support simulation activities in Abaqus for standard tire performance analyses (e.g., static footprint, inflation, modal analysis). Build and maintain infrastructure for FEA modeling, solution subroutines, and engineering analysis, including verification and validation of FEA models. Correlate simulation results with test data, documenting trends and deviations, and preparing technical reports. Analyze nonlinear behaviors. Communicate model results clearly. Develop a fundamental understanding of "cause and effect" relationships in tire mechanics and performance. Propose design solutions based on analytical and numerical methods to meet product performance targets in a fast-paced environment. Participate in brainstorming sessions and collaborative projects with local and global teams to enhance simulation accuracy and workflow efficiency. Interact with local and global counterparts to accommodate regional requirements and develop common tool functionalities. Develop and deliver training materials to teach downstream users in Development. Support the Development Team on more complex FEA analyses and questions. Knowledge and Skills Experience in static and dynamic finite element analyses and FEA model validation techniques. Expertise in at least one of the following: Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran, LS-DYNA, or COMSOL.Experience using advanced meshing software such as Hypermesh is preferred.

Experience using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools to support design or analysis workflows is considered a strong advantage. Experience with statistical analysis and handling large datasets. Proficiency in Python or MATLAB is preferred for data analysis, automation, and developing custom tools to support simulation workflows. Strong collaboration and coordination skills; history or working within cross-functional teams. Proven ability to document technical results and methodologies through reports and presentations. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to simplify and explain complex concepts. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision. Education and Experience Master's degree with 0 - 5 years of experience or Bachelor's degree with 3 - 7 years of experience in Mechanical Engineering or a related field. Formal training in Finite Element Analysis. Other Competitive Qualifications Experience in nonlinear material testing and modeling. CAE Design software such as CREO, CATIA, ProE, AutoCAD is beneficial. Data acquisition, processing, and analysis skills are helpful. DOE and statistical analysis skills are beneficial. Experience with tire and/or vehicle mechanics. Experience with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Familiarity with SQL or database management for organizing simulation/test data. Physical Requirements Must be able to remain in a stationary position, often sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time while working on a computer. Ability to repeat motions that include the wrists, hands and/or fingers Must be able to occasionally lift and or move up to 20 pounds